White Rose
by miley-avril
Summary: AU: We all know that in some versions, Snow White has a sister named Red Rose. What if Red and Snow are actually sisters? This takes place a little after "Red Handed", so Snow and Red are friends and grown adults. Snow's still a fugitive and Red's still the wolf. This is not a romance story. Rated T for minor language, though more for safety.


**SO HERE I AM WITH ANOTHER CRAZY IDEA! I'D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS. IT'S COMPLETELY AU. THIS ISN'T RED AND SNOW ROMANCE, THIS IS THEM AS SISTERS: YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.**

**DON'T OWN ONCE UPON A TIME.**

Granny sits in her rocking chair, a small fire crackling in the woodstove off to the side. She's about to tell Red and Snow something that's supposed to be a secret, but they're both grown women and can handle it. She looks between the two and takes the plunge.

"You're sisters." There's no preamble, no beating around the bush. Neither of them would appreciate it.

"W-what?" Snow's the first to force words out. She heard the older woman perfectly fine; she just can't believe the words. Granny looks to Red, who's sitting there with a blank look on her face. She continues.

"You're twins, actually, obviously fraternal."

"Why were we separated?" Red looks up, anger flashing across her face.

"We weren't sure which one of you would be cursed, if not both. If your mother had survived the birth we would have kept you together." The fury is not something Granny is not used to; ever since she and Snow had become friends she always had a tint of resentment every time she looked at her. Granted, it could have been because the woman had kept a secret from her that ended with her eating her boyfriend.

"It makes sense." Snow says. "I was told my mother died in childbirth."

"So my father's King Leopold." Red looks over at Snow. "And he wasn't killed by a wolf."

"Correct."

"We look alike." Snow continues. "I mean, not exactly, but we have the same color eyes and hair. We're both so pale…" She suddenly notices things about the other woman she wouldn't have otherwise.

"Leopold didn't want me." There's so much hatred in Red's voice it starts to scare Snow. "Of course a possible heir to the throne couldn't be a werewolf!" For some reason the smaller woman's eyes fill with tears, thinking this is her fault. Red stands up. "My own _father_ rejected me! Why'd he keep Snow? How did he know she wouldn't be… this." She gestures to herself.

"We flipped a coin." Granny answers, her own eyes growing damp. Snow rises, placing a hand on Red's shoulder.

"Red, -I"

"_No! Get your hands off of me!_" She yells and it chills Snow to the bone, and she can't help the tears that start falling down her cheek. Red stomps out of the room. Snow turns to Granny.

"You're my grandmother." She manages a small smile. Of course, raised as a princess, she was taught to always be gracious and accepting, even if you want to slap the person.

"Yes." Granny presses her lips together in an effort to stop the tears. "I am _so_ sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"But it is. If I had told Leopold not to… Red could have had a better life." She pulls the brunette into a warm embrace. "She could have had parents."

"She loves you." Snow pulls back, looking Granny in the eye. "She might be angry, but she loves you. You gave her everything anyone could ask for: love."

"She missed out on so much, though." She gives a humorless laugh. "What if she doesn't come back before Wolf's Time?"

"She will." Snow looks out the window at the almost-full moon. "I'll make sure of it."

"I'll go with you." Granny offers.

"I may be a princess." She smiles, "But I've also lived on my own for a while now. I'm not waiting for some Prince Charming to sweep me off my feet."

"I guess I should wait here in case she comes back before you find her." Granny eases back into her chair.

"That would be a good idea." Snow replies, grabbing her coat off the rack. "I'll bring her back home."

The snow's knee deep and the wind sucks all of the warmth from her, but the brunette presses on. She has to. It finally occurs to her, after almost an hour of searching the forest, that Red wouldn't have ventured this far out in that state of mind. She doubles back and makes her way to the barn where they first met, finding Red where she had once hid. She's sitting with her knees tucked to her chest. It's obvious she had been crying heavily, but the sobs had long since vanished, but a few tears still fall every few seconds.

"What are you doing here?" Her attempts at hiding the evidence of her breakdown are futile and she gives up after a few moments.

"Friends don't let friends suffer alone." Snow takes a seat next to Red.

"We're not friends."

"I thought we were."

"We're sisters."

"We can still be friends." Snow insists. "I know plenty of people who are best friends but are practically sisters. At least I did, before I was forced into hiding. I'm sure it works the other way around."

"It's just _so_ hard not to hate you. You have the life that I've always dreamed of." Red says, unable to meet Snow's gaze. She's being vein and petty, and she's perfectly aware of it.

"My life hasn't been as great as you think." Snow replies a little harsher than she intends. But that's how it's been since the Huntsman let her go. It's hardened her, made her question everything and everyone. Some days she wonders if she's too tough to ever be happy. She's all but destined to die alone; she can't get married, never mind even _meet_ her true love without her identity being revealed, and she sure as Hell can't bring a child into the world. It wouldn't deserve to constantly be on the run and to have the same trust issues as she does, the same weariness of the world and hard exterior.

"But you had everything!"

"I didn't. My father, he loved me. At the end of the day, though, he never showed it. We didn't have tea parties. All he ever did was tell me how to walk, how to talk, how to dress. I would have given _anything_ for a kiss on the forehead. As you know, I never knew our mother. Regina pretended to like me, but… I now realize there was a hidden meaning to everything she did. She never gave me any affection, either. Red, I might have had material things, but I wanted love, and I never got it. You did, and you still do." Finally, Red looks at her. Maybe they weren't so different after all.

"Love never dies, even in death." Red says. "But gold, it can get worn away, and stolen. Love can't." Snow nods.

"Let's go remind Granny of that." She takes Snow's hand.

"Let's." She agrees.

**THANKS FOR READING!**


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